Of Amour and Illusion
by aalexcooper
Summary: "The palace was quite, everyone asleep, all except for two. A petite, brunette wearing a black cloak to conceal herself hurried through the back gardens of the courtyard towards her destination. A tall, brown-eyed man wearing the worn, black trousers and boots of a stablehand paces back and forth across the old wooden floor." Mid 1800's. RxD. AU.
1. Prologue

_Of Amour and Illusion_

_**Prologue**_

Wind made the pale blue curtains flutter and move, disrupting the stillness of the bedroom. The four-poster mahogany bed was untouched and the candles that would normally be illuminating the darkened room had their last billows of smoke drifting away. At such a late hour, the princess would be expected to be in her chambers, reciting her evening prayers and getting ready for slumber however she is nowhere to be found. The balcony doors leading out to her terrace are wide open letting the night's chill inside. The maids had made their last rounds, collecting any dishes and fixing any imperfections to the palaces appearance before returning to the servant's quarters. The cooks had long finished their preparations for the following day's meals and had retired for the night. The palace was quite, everyone asleep, all except for two. A petite, brunette wearing a black cloak to conceal herself hurried through the back gardens of the courtyard towards her destination. A tall, brown-eyed man wearing the worn, black trousers and boots of a stablehand paces back and forth across the old wooden floor. The girl sees the abandoned cabin ahead of her and she increases her pace. Quietly, she reaches the door and slips inside.

"Hello," she says, slipping off her cloak. The man watches her with his dark eyes as she crosses the room to where he is standing. Standing up on her tippy toes she presses a soft kiss to his lips and sinks down to her normal height. "I've missed you."

The man wraps his arms around her and presses his face into her dark, illustrious hair, breathing in.

"I've missed you too," he says, tightening his arms around her.

The night continues on, the hours melting away until the sun is about to peak over the mountains and the servant's begin to wake in preparation for the day's work. Kissing him goodbye the women drapes the cloak around herself and makes her way back to the palace using the cover of the quickly fading darkness. Once she is back in her bedroom she closes the balcony doors and climbs into her bed waiting for her chambermaid to come wake her with her morning bath.

* * *

**Hello everyone. I hope the prologue has peaked your interest. The first chapter should be uploaded very soon so I hope you'll keep with it. Thanks for reading, reviews would be much appreciated.**

**aalexcooper**


	2. Dark-Haired Beauty

_Of Amour and Illusion_

_Chapter I:__** Dark-Haired Beauty**_

_Rose_

"Rosemarie!" The queen's Scottish accented voice reverberated through the palace halls. "Where is that girl?" Janine muttered to herself as she descended the grand staircase. The queen's heeled shoes clicked along the marble floors as she walked down the corridor. She walked until she reached the kitchen, opening the wooden door and stepping inside. There she saw her daughter, elbows up on the counter watching the head chef prepare lunch of tavuk tava.

Rose had on a beautiful ocean blue dress, synched at the waist to flow down to her ankles. Her chest accentuated just enough to be tasteful and the silk straps crossing over her shoulders and down her back. Her dark tresses were wrapped up messily at the top of her head with wisps hanging down to frame her face. Her face was free of any makeup and her feet were barefoot. Janine sighed. Her daughter was so beautiful, however her spirit and recklessness was getting tedious.

"Rosemarie!" Rose's head snapped up and met the eye's of her mother. "Your father just informed me that you've declined Prince Ivashkov's invitation to his chalet in the Alps for the third time. There is a limit to a man's patience, Rosemarie. You can only play hard to get for so long." Janine lectured. Rose stood up to her full height of five foot seven, taller than her mother but she somehow still felt smaller under her mother's gaze.

"I'm not playing hard to get, mother." Rose says, crossing her arms. "I don't want to go to the Alps with Adrian. He's a fool and a drunkard." The chef smiled, letting a chuckle escape him. He was silenced by the queen's hard glare.

"Rosemarie! Do not speak about the prince that way!" She scolded. "The Ivashkov's are a very important family and it's best that we stay on their good side." With that she turned on her heel and exited the kitchen. Rose sighed and bid adieu to the chef. Her mother didn't understand that the prospect of becoming involved with the Ivashkov prince made her feel sick to her stomach. She needed some air. Making her way through the palace she admired all of the artwork and tapestries hanging on the walls. The masterpieces this palace held were valued for millions. Rose always loved the vastness and the possibility of the palace. It was so huge you could get lost in the elaborate layout and winding halls. Her family, the Mazur's currently held the monarchy in Turkey. Her father Ibrahim Mazur was appointed king at the young age of 21 after his father died. At his coronation he met Rose's mother, the Duchess of Glasgow and they fell in love. A year later they were married and Janine Hathaway became Janine Mazur, Queen of Turkey. Soon Janine became pregnant with Rose. Rose has lived in the palace her entire life. Being the only child and heir to the throne of Turkey she has a lot of eyes set on her but Ibrahim has tried to keep her out of public view. Rose continues through the palace until she reaches the doors to the courtyard. The sun is shining brightly outside, the sky as clear as day. Their courtyard is a sight to see, vibrant flowers and lush greenery are everywhere with a labyrinth situated at the back of the estate. It's high summer in Turkey so the heat is sweltering. The gardener's have stripped down to their under shirts. In the distance she can see the horses being taken out for their daily excursion. She squints, trying to see who's taking them out when she senses another presence with her.

"What are you looking at?" A soft, feminine voice says. She turns to see her best friend, Princess Vasilissa Dragomir walking towards her. Vasilissa's family used to hold power in Romania nine years earlier. When she was ten, a fire started in her family's estate killing her mother and father as well as her older brother, Andrei. Since Vasilissa wasn't old enough to inherit rule, the Ivashkovs, distance relatives of the Dragomirs took power. She should have stayed with them but they allowed her to be taken in by the Mazur's due to Rose and Lissa's bond. Vasilissa still retains her title of Princess of Romania but she hasn't been back since her family's death.

"Oh nothing, just the horses being taken out for the day." Rose replies, facing her friend.

"Yes, I bet they're being prepared for the race next week. You know how your father gets about his horses." Lissa says, linking arms with Rose as they continue to stroll through the grass. Rose laughs and nods, casting one last glance at the fields.

_Dimitri_

Sweat dripped down Dimitri's neck and back as he brought in the horses after their training. The heat was like a blanket over him and at mid-day it didn't seem like it would be cooling off anytime soon. After he led the horses to their stables and finished their grooming he went up to the palace to clean up and eat some lunch. Because he was one of the head grooms at the palace he didn't have to share his quarters with anyone. Walking into the kitchen he saw Eddie, the sous-chef, finishing the usual lunch for the staff, pilaf with eggplant.

"Hey Dimitri, how are the horses looking?" He asks, fixing a plate for him.

"They're doing well. They should fair fine in the race." Dimitri explains, taking the plate and sitting down to eat. He didn't mind Turkish food but it was times like these when he missed his mother's cooking. Eddie and him pass pleasantries like usual and discuss the upcoming race.

"So, any girl in your life?" Eddie asks, giving Dimitri a wolfish smile. "Because I've heard some of the chamber maids talking about the most handsome stablehand with the most adorable Russian accent." Dimitri laughed and shook his head.

"No, not right now. I don't have the time right now." He says, feigning indifference. He gets a flash of a dark-haired beauty smiling up at him as he hovers over her and presses kisses down her neck and he tries to repress a smile.

"I see that smirk." Eddie chuckles but Dimitri stays quiet. "Fine. Your business is your business." Dimitri nods and brings his plate to the dishwasher to be cleaned.

"But really, it's no one I swear." Dimitri urges as he walks out of the kitchen. He can hear Eddie's laughter echo through the kitchen as he shuts the door behind him.

The evening comes quickly and Dimitri is helping the kitchen staff set up the grand dining hall for the dinner with the Ivashkov's tonight. They arrived the previous day to attend to the race. All staff is required to help with the preparations due to the importance of the guests. The dining room looks extravagant with the swooping drapery and fine, glass china. The sparkling chandelier hangs prominently at the center of the table, casting light over the entire room. Dimitri has less than pleasant feelings towards the Ivashkovs as his mother tells him of the tyranny of King Ivashkov and the whoring and boozing of the prince. Although he loves Russia, their current monarch is a megalomaniac. The dinner bell chimes and he quickly finishes straightening the napkins and heads back to the kitchen with the desire to return to his chambers and read one of the novels his mother bought him before he left for Turkey. As he reached the door leading to the servant's quarters, Alberta Petrov grasps his arm, stopping him.

"Dimitri, I'm sorry but we need you to serve tonight. Robert almost lost a finger today while cutting the eggplant and he's getting it tended to." She tells him, giving him the server's shirt and apron. "Hurry and get changed." Dimitri rushed to his room and put on the uniform. As he walked back into the kitchen, a pitcher of wine was thrust into his hands.

"Do not forget this." Eddie says and pushed Dimitri towards the dining room door.

_Rose_

Rose has just finished tidying herself up and slipping into some shoes when she hears the diner bell. She takes her time descending to the dining hall as she knows who waits there. She enters the lavish room and sees that everybody is already seated. Her father is sitting at the head of the table with her mother to his left. King Ivashkov is sitting at the other end of the table with his wife on his left. Beside Queen Ivashkov is none other than Prince Ivashkov. His eyes light up as he spots Rose and he quickly stands and pulls out the empty seat next to him with the one after being filled by Lissa. Rose begrudgingly walked over and sits. Lissa gives her a sly glance that she chooses to ignore. She sees that Adrian's little sister, Emilie is across from her with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. On Rose's father's right is his advisor, Pavel Suvari.

"Rosemarie," King Ivashkov says, "how nice to see you again. She's grown into such a beautiful young women, Ibrahim."

"Thank you, I know," laughs Ibrahim. "I've had to beat the men off with sticks." Rose rolls her eyes as she knows her father would beat any unwelcome men off of her with something more than just sticks. The kitchen doors open and servants start pouring in with salad and appetizers.

"So Rose," Adrian begins, leaning closer to her. "The heat is just unbearable here this time of year, it would be a good time for-"

"I happen to like the heat." Rose says quickly, stopping him in his tracks. Her mother shoots her a glare and Rose focuses on the food being brought in. The kitchen door opens again and Dimitri enters. Dimitri walks up to Ibrahim and bends down.

"Wine, your majesty?" He asks.

"Why yes. Thank you." Ibrahim answers, letting his glass be filled up. Dimitri works his way around the table.

"Wine for you, Princess?" He asks, his voice steady and calm as he bends down close to her ear.

"No, thank you." She answers, her voice wavering slightly. She looks up to meet his gaze before he exits back to the kitchen. The dinner proceeds as the different kings discuss their latest spoils and Adrian pesters Rose with his attention. As the staff comes to collect the dishes, Adrian starts again.

"As I was saying earlier, Rose, if you ever wanted to take a little vacation, our chalet is always open to you." He says, winking at Rose. Rose is ready to rebuke him once again but this time the conversation has caught the attention of Queen Ivashkov.

"Oh yes Rose, you and Adrian would have a wonderful time," she assures. Dessert starts to be brought out and Dimitri enters with a platter of fruit.

"What's this, Daniella?" asks King Ivashkov.

"Oh I was just saying how Rosemarie and Adrian would have a grand time together at the chalet. It's very romantic." She says with a smile. Rose's eyes glance to Dimitri as she sees his muscles tense.

"Yes that would be very nice. How about it Abe? Willing to lend out your daughter for a couple weeks?" King Ivashkov asks with a laugh. Ibrahim laughs with him and looks at his daughter.

"I don't know, Nathan. I've heard some rumors about that scoundrel of a son of yours and I'm not sure about how I feel letting my daughter be alone with him." He jokes.

"I assure you, sir, that she will arrive back exactly as virtuous as when she left." Adrian says, laughing. Rose clenches her fists not okay with her virtue being a dinner table topic. Lissa looks at her worryingly, willing Rose not to start anything. Dimitri, sharing the same sentiment, places the platter in the centre of the table and quickly leaves to go back to the kitchen. The guests disperse soon after and Rose sneaks away to her bedroom. She retrieves her cloak and furtively exits the palace through the servant's entrance. Making her way to their spot she sees the rundown cabin is already illuminated. He's there. Walking up the steps, she grasps the door handle and enters. Dimitri is standing by the fire he's just made, facing the flames. Rose walks over to him and slips her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his upper back. She can feel his muscled abdomen under her hands as he can feel her breasts pressed up against him.

"Long time no see." She jokes, rubbing her hands up and down his stomach. He returns her with silence. "Not in the laughing mood I see." He exhales and closes his eyes, letting him be calmed by the feeling of her. She moves around to his front and places her hands on her cheeks moving his gaze down to her.

"I know it's hard but you have to know that I love you and only you," Rose says, placing a light kiss on his lips. When she pulls away, he grabs her wrist and pulls her back to him, crushing his lips to hers. Moving hers hand into his hair, he runs his down her body to rest them on her hips. When Dimitri pulls away, he rests his forehead on hers.

"I love you, too." He breaths. "I just can't stand to hear them talk about you and Ivashkov. You're not his to have."

"I know, Aşkım. I know and that's all that matters," Rose says and takes his hand leading him to the old, rickety bed in the middle of the room. She climbs on and lies down motioning for him to follow. Dimitri obeys her and lies down opposite, taking her into his arms as Rose rests her head on his chest. _One day_, Dimitri thinks. _One day we'll just run away and no one will be able to stop us_. He lets this thought carry him into slumber with his dark-haired beauty sleeping peacefully in his arms.

_Ibrahim_

Ibrahim places his quill in the inkbottle, letting his signature dry on the paper. A knock at his door surprises him as it is such a late hour.

"Enter," he says, leaning back in his chair. Nathan Ivashkov enters the office, walking up the Ibrahim's desk. Ibrahim sits up straight and motions for Nathan to sit.

"How may I help you, your majesty?" Ibrahim asks. Nathan gives a slight smile at the formality.

"I'm here to discuss your daughter," he answers.

"Oh, and what about my daughter? She hasn't offended you I hope, she's been known to speak before she thinks." Ibrahim laughs.

"No nothing like that Abe, but she has seen nineteen summers. Don't you think it's time she found a husband?" Ibrahim sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Rosemarie will find a husband when she is ready. I'm not opposed to holding onto her innocence for a few more years." He replied.

"Most girls are married with children by the time their 20!" Nathan says. "And Adrian has shown such an interest in her. We think she would be good for him."

"If my daughter shows in interest in your son, then we'll discuss it but of what I've seen, she doesn't want anything to do with him or his reputation." Ibrahim explains, meeting Nathan's stare.

"War is coming, Ibrahim. You can feel it in the air. A Turkish – Russian alliance would be very beneficial to both of us and this marriage would be the perfect way to do it."

"I stand by my decision, Nathan." Ibrahim says. "If that's all . . ." Nathan stands up and starts to exit the office.

"If I were you Abe, I would hope my daughter would put the livelihood of my country before herself." Nathan added before closing the door behind him. Ibrahim rubbed his eyes and leant back in his chair. _What am I going to do now?_

**Hey guys, hope you liked it. I'm sorry this chapter was kind of boring but I had to kind of introduce the characters and the problem and such. I'm hoping I can get the next chapter up tomorrow.**

**tavuk tava = a Turkish chicken dish**

**groom = a man who tends to horses**

**megalomaniac = a person obsessed with their own power**

**askim = "my love" in Turkish**

**aalexcooper**


	3. Accept the Inevitable

_Of Amour and Illusion_

_Chapter II: __**Accept the Inevitable**_

_Rose_

Sunlight filtered through the slight gap in the tired curtains of the cabin, shining onto Rose's eyes, awakening her. Her head was resting on Dimitri's chest with his strong arms wrapped around her and she had one leg draped over his. One of his hands was lying on her lower back while the other hand ghosted under her dress to rest on the back of her thigh. Rose blushed and nestled her head into the space between Dimitri's neck and shoulder. Not to her surprise, the movement caused Dimitri's eyes to flutter open. Rose smiled gently up at him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning," she whispered, placing her head back on his shoulder.

"Good morning, Roza," he replied, tightening his arms around her. Noticing their position, he jerked his hand off of her thigh. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I must have moved when-" Rose pressed her lips to his, effectively silencing him.

"Shh. It's fine, Dimitri," she said against his lips. Dimitri nodded and relaxed back into the pillows but he moved his hand to her waist instead.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, slowly rubbing his hand up and down her back, caressing her through the fabric of her dress.

"Yes, I did." Rose replied. "I always do when I'm in your arms." Dimitri smiled and tucked her head under his chin.

"Me too, Roza. Me too." The couple talked for a while, as the sun raised the rest of the castle. Rose sighed and pushed up off of Dimitri's chest.

"I have to leave soon." She said sadly, looking down at her handsome Russian. "I told my handmaiden to let me sleep in this morning but I have to meet Lissa for breakfast to help her with more planning." Rose's best friend was getting married in the autumn to the Prince of Ukraine, Christian Ozera. They met at a royal ball held by her father for Rose's mothers 40th name day celebration. It was love at first sight and Rose always thought that the reason they had really connected was because they had both faced the grief of losing their parents. Christian's parents, the old king and queen, had been murdered by a group of rebels who opposed the crown when Christian was six. Christian was the rightful heir to the throne but refused to take the title of King, handing it off to his uncle. Christian had been dragged to the ball by his aunt, Natasha, who was a friend of Rose's mother. The two only saw each other for about half a year before they were engaged and their wedding is now almost upon them. As the maid of honor, Rose had been expected to be part of the planning much to her dismay. Dimitri sat up as well, brushing a piece of fallen hair behind Rose's face.

"I always hate this part. When the sun comes up and we have to part ways again, returning to our lives." Dimitri said, planting a kiss on Rose's cheek. "I hate being without you."

"Well you always have a little piece of me with you." Rose replied, placing her hand on the centre of his chest where a silver ring was hanging by a simple, golden chain. Dimitri smiled and placed his hand over hers.

"Yes, I do."

* * *

"I was thinking the chiffon silk for the table cloths." Lissa said, stroking the soft fabric that was splayed across the table. "What do you think, Rose?" She looked over at her best friend who fiddling with the end of the tablecloth, clearly not engaged in Lissa's enquiries. "Rose!" Rose's head snapped up, focusing on her irked friend.

"Sorry, what were you asking?" Lissa shook her head and gestured to the silk.

"What do you think of this?" Rose looked at the fabric, trying to decipher the seemingly universal fixation women have on this type of frivolous folly. In the grand scheme of things, will the thread count of your tablecloth at your wedding really be the catalyst of your happiness? "It's between this and the Egyptian cotton and I just can't make a decision," her friend explained.

"This one is nice." Rose finally said, folding her hands together. Lissa sighed again and pulled the silk back draping it over the railing of fabrics being considered to adorn the tables at the royal wedding.

"Are you okay, Rose?" She asked, taking Rose's hands into her own. "It's like you've been in your own little world lately? Is something bothering you?"

"Of course not, Liss." Rose said, drawing her hands back. "If something was the matter, I'd tell you." In truth, Rose's mind had been back at the cabin with Dimitri, her thoughts hadn't strayed far from him lately. She could never tell Lissa that though. No matter how desperately she wanted to confide in her best friend about her amour with a certain stablehand, she wouldn't risk it. It was too dangerous and she cared too deeply for him to chance that. Doing all of this wedding preparation with Lissa had also taken its toll on Rose. She was ecstatic that her friend had found love and was going to marry a man that she loved but she couldn't help but feel a slight bout of resentment. Rose could never pronounce her affection for the man she loves, at least not now or anytime soon.

"Are you sure?" Lissa urged, looking into Rose's eyes with a caring stare.

"Yes princess, I'm sure." Rose said with a smile. Lissa returned it and leaned back into her chair. "Now how about we look at some napkin options?"

_Dimitri_

The heat of the sun made cleaning the stables a particularly rancid job. A stable boy had come down with the flu so that left Dimitri to pick up the slack. His shirt was soaked with sweat and he was seriously contemplating shedding it. The only thing that was getting him through his work was the memories of his night with Roza and how good it felt to have her in his arms while they slept. At the age of 26, he could honestly say that he's never felt the feelings he felt with Rose with another. Dimitri chuckled at the memory of the day she stumbled into his life.

_ Dimitri was sitting at his worktable, cleaning a set of horseshoes when he heard footsteps approaching the stables. He stood up and walked to the line of pens where the horses were seeing a petite figure dip into one of them. No one except the stable's staff was allowed in here at this time of night. There's always the risk of an opposite racer trying to get the upper hand over the crown's horses. Silently, walking up to the entrance he saw that the figure was a girl. Her long brown, almost black, hair was cascading down her back, with a large cloak concealing her body. Dimitri couldn't see her face as he saw her go up to the white mare and stroke its mane while gently rubbing its side._

"_Excuse me, Miss? What do you think you're doing?" Dimitri said. The girl jumped and let out a slight scream, clutching her chest, while quickly turning to face Dimitri. Dimitri's heart jumped a little in his chest when he saw whom the trespasser was, Princess Rosemarie Mazur, daughter of the King. He had seen her before from afar; she strolled the grounds sometimes and watched the horse's being trained. Being this close to her, he now knew why people spoke of her beauty with such revere. He had never seen such a beautiful women in his life. Her long, wavy hair flowed down around her oval shaped face. Her sweet, button nose sat above the most appealing, cupid-bow shaped lips. Although, what he was most drawn to was her deep, chocolate brown eyes that were staring back at him with startle. "Oh, I'm deeply sorry, Princess. I didn't know it was you." Dimitri said, trying to save himself from the possible consequence of taking tone with a royal. The princess dropped her hand and straightened up, taking him in._

"_It's alright, you were doing your job. You just startled me." She said, turning back to the horse slightly. "I know no one is supposed to come here at night but I saw Luna out riding today and I wanted to visit her." Dimitri didn't know how to act in a situation like this. The closest he had ever come to speaking to royalty was the King's advisor, Pavel, who regularly came to check on the horses. He watched the Princess as she pet the horse and whispered to her; Luna didn't seem to mind. _

"_I'm Dimitri Belikov, the head stablehand." Rose nodded and smiled._

"_Yes, I've seen you before," she said, seeming to get lost in her thoughts as Dimitri saw a light blush on her cheeks. "Do you want me to leave? I didn't mean to disturb you." _

"_Of course not, Princess. You're very welcome to stay." Dimitri replied, wanting to talk more with her._

"_Thank you, but don't call me Princess," she said, letting a bit of her natural spirit seep into her words. "Just Rose will suffice."_

"_As you wish, just Rose." Dimitri answered to his surprise and horror. He was calmed though by the sound of laughter coming from the Princess and to his astonishment he joined in with her. He could have listened to her laugh all day but their moment came to an end, leaving them in a comfortable silence._

"_I used to ride Luna, you know," Rose said suddenly, breaking the peace and looking at Dimitri. "I used to ride horses a lot when I was younger. Until I got to an age where my mother said it was unladylike and something a young princess shouldn't be engaging in." Rose looked thoughtfully back at the mare, patting her on the nose. Dimitri didn't know why he felt the need to know more but he found himself speaking._

"_Do you miss it?" Rose sighed and stepped away from Luna, focusing herself on Dimitri._

"_Yes, all the time," she replied. "I miss just being with the horses most of all. I feel better when I'm with them. I haven't felt this calm in a long time." Dimitri couldn't contain the small smile that forced its way onto his lips as Rose looked at him._

"_You're welcome to come here anytime you want." Dimitri offered, hoping he'd get to speak with her again. _

"_When are you here?" Rose asked, taking a few steps towards him. Dimitri tried to ignore how his pulse quickened at that question._

"_I am here all day, everyday except Sunday and I usually stay later than everyone else like tonight." _

"_So you'll be here tomorrow night?" Rose asked._

"_Yes, I will." Dimitri replied, not understanding the feeling that was coursing through his body._

"_Well then maybe I'll come by here again." Rose smiled and looked up at Dimitri's tall stature through her eyelashes._

"_I'll be looking forward to it." He said, bowing his head to her as she made her way to the stable door._

"_If you don't mind me asking, Rose, how did you get out of the castle at this time of night? The guards are on watch." Dimitri asked, taking a couple steps out of the pen. Rose stopped and looked to Dimitri, a secret smile on her face._

"_I learnt at a young age how to get out of that place undetected," she said mysteriously. "You never know when it might come in handy."_

Dimitri smiled at that memory of the night he met the love of his life. He didn't know at the time how exactly useful Rose's skill of getting in and out of the castle was. Rose had returned almost every night after that and they talked for hours, getting to know each other. He had spent some of the best nights of his life in these stables just talking to Rose and spending time with her, the class system nor their places in it weren't spoken of. It was just them. Finishing up with his job, Dimitri returned to the castle to take a bath and eat a meal with Eddie's usual company.

_Rose_

"So how is the planning going Vasilissa?" Janine asked as she sipped her black tea. Janine had invited Lissa and Rose to have afternoon tea with her and Lady Ivashkov. Lissa was fine in indulging Rose's mother's invitation and actually enjoyed talking to the two older women. Lady Ivashkov had obviously dragged along little Emilie with her who looked like she would rather be anywhere but there at the moment. Rose shared that sentiment.

"Oh, it's going great." Lissa replied, enthusiastically. "Almost everything is ready and prepared. And Rose has done a great job planning the bridal shower." Lissa smiled at her best friend as her mother gave her a skeptical look. In truth, Lissa had also planned most of the bridal shower but Rose was fine putting her name on it.

"Yes, everything is in place for next week. It should be a good time." Rose said, feeling bad for the lack of excitement and involvement she had for the event in Lissa's wedding.

"I'm sure it will be beautiful," said Lady Ivashkov and Rose rolled her eyes. She knew if it were anything but she would be reporting back to all of her friend's in Russia about the sideshow that is the Dragomir-Ozera union. The three chatted about any topic they could while Rose sometimes interjected her opinion usually earning a glare for her mother. Throughout the whole afternoon though, her and Emilie mostly stayed quiet casting sidelong glances at each other once in a while. Rose liked to think that they had a mutual understanding and dislike for this type of frivolity. As the subject changed to the appalling revelation that my mother had had to let go one of the maids because she'd gotten herself pregnant, the door to the tea room opened slowly with Adrian Ivashkov strolling through the entrance. Rose groaned inwardly and sighed. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get away from this man.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, ladies," Adrian started, charmingly, letting his gaze fall on Rose. "But I've been sent to inform you that dinner will be served in half an hour."

"Oh how the time passes by," Lady Ivashkov said, glancing at her thin, elegant watch. "It always does when you have good conversation." Rose wanted to throw up her breakfast at the amount of falsity in that woman.

"We should head to the dining hall where we can continue." Janine said, standing up. The women all began leaving with Rose coming up behind when Adrian stopped her.

"You know, Rose. If you wanted to eat somewhere a little more intimate, I found this lovely spot by the lake in the courtyard." Adrian offered, flashing her a winning smile. This type of thing was grating a Rose's nerves and she especially wasn't in the mood after the torture she just endured.

"I'm sorry, Prince Ivashkov, but I'm really not interested," Rose said. "I know that our families are in favor of us being together and you're very handsome and everything but I just don't feel that way towards you." Adrian didn't seem affected by her statement; in fact, he seemed as blasé as always.

"That's what you say now, Little Princess but just wait. Once we spend some more time together you'll see." Rose shook her head.

"I don't think so." Adrian gave her another sly smile and turned back towards the door to leave.

"Trust me, Rose. It would be a lot easier if you just accepted the inevitable now." Rose continued to look his way as he disappeared through the door. She had an ominous feeling that he knew something she didn't. And she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

**Hey guys,**

**Sorry this took awhile but I've been really freaking busy lately. Luckily, school ends in two weeks and I'll have a lot of time to write and update. I realized in my last chapter that at first I introduced Lissa and the Ivashkovs as Romanian and then it switched to Russian so I just wanted to clear up that the Ivashkovs are indeed Russian. Also tell me if you want me to do more flashbacks of how Rose and Dimitri's relationship started out. I liked writing that part. Thanks for all of the reviews from the last chapter! I appreciate all of them.**

**-xAlexxCoop**


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